What'sApp!

January 15, 2018

Friends and Family,

Big news from Benidorm!! We have been approved to use several social media apps including Facebook (which I don't think we'll actually use that much) and What'sApp!! Phone service here is super expensive, so literally no one pays for text or call service, they just download What'sApp for free, which is great for them because it’s free but it's really hard for us because it makes it next to impossible to communicate with anyone since we haven’t been able to use the app. So, we're really excited for that change!

Enrique is doing amazing! We helped him quit smoking which is a huge accomplishment for him! It's weird because most of the people we taught this week were Spaniards (usually Spaniards want nothing to do with us)!

Many people that I talk to have different opinions about God. Many wonder whether or not He is perfectly merciful or perfectly just. The Book of Mormon prophet Alma explains this topic in Alma Chapter 42: "And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also" (Here's the whole chapter if you want to learn more:  https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/42?lang=eng).

I love you all!

Elder Coleman

Elder Bluth to Extremadura

January 8, 2018

This week we spent a couple days working in Alcoi (north of Benidorm) with two other missionaries. To be honest, being there just made me super happy to be in Benidorm hahaha. This area of the mission has been termed the scriptural phrase "The land flowing with milk and honey" because everything about it is amazing! The people are really nice, the weather is awesome, and the church is really strong. I'll be really sad when it comes time to leave! Every six weeks there are transfers in the mission where missionaries get moved to different areas and get new companions. No changes for Elder Moreland and I this time, but Elder Bluth got transferred to Cácerez (in Extremadura, which literally translates to extremely hard), which is really funny because Benidorm and Cácerez are pretty much the two farthest areas from each other haha. They probably found out that Elder Bluth and I have known each other forever and moved us as far apart as possible hahaha. We'll definitely see each other as time goes on though!

Enrique is changing so much it's crazy. He came to church again this week and wants to be baptized! We're helping him to quit smoking right now, so we'll see how that goes. It's amazing the change that has been wrought in his life because of the Book of Mormon! He still has a long ways to go, but his heart is softening as he reads about Christ and tries to emulate Him. The Book of Mormon is the word of God!!!

Elder Coleman
Spain, Málaga Mission

Pic - Beniboyz + Hermana Rivera

Feliz Ano!!!

January 1, 2018

Friends and family,

Benidorm has been treating us well these days!! It got pretty cold for Spain a few weeks ago, but it's back in the 60s for the new year! Yesterday was an awesome Sunday because we got a bus to take people from Dénia (about a 2 hour bus/train ride away from the church) to the chapel. Because it didn't stop 1,000 times, it only took 45 min to get to Benidorm!! This week, one of our investigators named E___ came to church! He's like an 80 year old catholic Spaniard who is suuuppeerrr stubborn. It's so crazy how the more we've met with him and taught him his heart just softens. He finally let us into his house and actually listens to us!! Christmas miracle!!!

Today we climbed La Mola in Calpe, and you can see about half of our area from there! You can also see Penyal d'lfac (the huge rock) that we hiked two weeks ago. I think every Monday we hike something just because there are so many awesome hikes here. I hope y'all had a great week!!

Elder Coleman

Christmas!!!

December 25, 2017

Friends and Family,

¡Feliz Navidad! (¡Bon Nadal! if you happen to speak Valenciano!!) As always, an amazing week in Benidorm!! We had an awesome dinner last night with a Columbian family in our Branch! They're pictured below along with Toni, who is an awesome guy from Dénia! He hasn't been to church is decades, but he called us one day and said that he wanted to come to church. We were even more surprised that he wanted to come because he has no money and no mode of transportation. He has trouble walking, so he left his house at 5:45 AM on Sunday morning and it took him an hour to walk to the bus station. He then bussed to Calpe (over an hour) and then took a train to Benidorm (just under an hour). We then met him at the train station at 8:30 and walked with him over to the chapel. In total, this man travelled over 3 hours to attend church. The whole time we were with him he wouldn't stop talking about how happy he was to be there and how awesome his life was!! It definitely inspired me to always stay positive in the  midst of afflictions! A prophet from the Book of Mormon described Christ's afflictions in this way: "And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men." When times are hard, we can take comfort in the fact that Christ suffered for all who have ever lived. We can show our appreciation for this amazing gift by sharing His love with other. I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas!!

Elder Coleman